If almost instantaneous loading
isn’t sexy enough for you, your pixel-
obsessed eyes will be glad to know
that Scarlett has a ridiculous amount
of horsepower. Housing AMD’s Zen 2
CPU and Radeon RDNA architecture,
the new Xbox console offers quadruple
the processing power of the Xbox
One X. When paired with the system’s
lightning-fast GDDR6 RAM it should
lead to next-gen games that “usher in
resolution and framerates we’ve never
seen before”.
Right now, the vast majority of
current Xbox games run at 30fps. Even
on the supercharged X, the number of
titles that output at 60fps is relatively
low – the recent Rage 2 being a
notable exception. While the promise
of 120fps gaming seems vaguely
fanciful, 4K/60fps should be a realistic
target for Scarlett. Indeed, the likes of
FIFA 19 on the X already achieve this
gold standard. As for games running
at twice that refresh rate, it could
well be possible on Scarlett, thoughdeveloperswilllikelyhavea choice
between 1080p/120fps or 4K/60fps.
With the next Xbox, the balancing act
between resolution and framerate
should be fascinating.
Scalability is clearly going to be
a big consideration for developers
going forward. With Xbox One and Xbox
One X boasting large, established
user bases, and Scarlett offering
backwards compatibility for not just
those consoles, but also Xbox 360 and
the original Xbox, Microsoft won’t want
studios developing games that can
only run on Scarlett.Infinite potential
The version of Halo Infinite that
launches next year will run on both
Xbox One S and Scarlett, with Microsoft
already promising Master Chief’s latest
shooter will be feature-identical,
regardless of what generation of Xbox
you’re playing on. The only difference
will be resolution and (potentially)
framerate, which admittedly could
be a dicey issue for multiplayer if you
have Scarlett owners happily shooting
away at 60fps, and Xbox One gamers
blasting their fellow Spartans at 30fps.
Right now though, the message from
Microsoft is clear: when it comes to
new Xbox games, no one is going to
be left behind.
Then there’s the streaming-
shaped elephant in the room. Just
how will Scarlett tie into Microsoft’s
upcoming xCloud? The streaming
service launches this October, and
while pricing and exact tech specs
haven’t been announced, we do know“Scalability is
clearly oin
to be a bi
consideration for
developers”
ABOVE The new
Elite controller
is super
expensive, but it
should be an
ace pad.
OXM
SAYSINSIDER PROJECT SCARLETT
The potential offered by
Scarlett is breathtaking (and
I’m still impressed by the X!).
The games are what it’s all
about though, and I’m
excited for Halo Infinite and
to see what other titles could
show off the potential of the
next-gen console.Chris
BurkeThis is going to be a major
step forward towards PC
gaming levels of gameplay,
and something I’m certainly
very excited about! The
specs are a massive jump
forward over the X. I better
start saving to get a 4K setup
ready for launch!Rob
CrosslandUltimately, it all boils down to
one thing: the games, and
Microsoft is making bold
steps in making its library
available to more people. Add
to that its new quiver of
studios working hard on new
exciting titles and you have a
very bright future for Xbox.Drew
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